The Friends We Are
by OneClassyLady
Summary: THE BEATLES *not across the universe* Ringo and Mandy, the closest of friends for years... How much could change in one night?
1. Part One: Ringo

RINGO

* * *

It was late and I was just relaxing, listening to the radio playing softly. Suddenly, there was an obnoxiously loud knock on my door, so I got up to answer it. I opened the door to find a quite obviously inebriated girl.

"Mandy! What are yo-" She silenced me by shoving her hand over my mouth.

"_Shhhhh_... Don't. speak." She spoke haltingly, the liquor evident on her breath.

* * *

Mandy has been a friend of mine since our early teenage years. I consider her to be, really, one of my very best friends. She's my first choice when going out to a club or to the cinema. We can tell each other anything. We laugh and comfort each other with everything. As intimate our friendship is, it's always been platonic. There's been no action or intent on either side to move forward into a different kind of relationship.

* * *

"Kiss me, Ringo. _Love me_..." She wrapped her arms about my shoulders and leaned in to kiss me.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... Hold on here." I removed her arms and stepped away.

"Oh, come on now," She said while undoing her long, knee-length jacket, "I'm not that bad, am I?"

"N-no, it's just that- you're very drunk, Mandy, and..." My words faltered as her jacket opened and fell to the ground. My eyes widened at the sight of her, scantily clad, in just some very provocative undergarments.

"Now that I've got your attention." She started walking towards me, shedding what little remained of her clothing, while I kept backing away.

"Mandy. I- you-" I fell back in the chair behind me as she kept approaching and proceeded to climb onto my lap... wearing absolutely nothing.

"You can't say you've never thought about this, Richie... " She bent down to whisper in my ear, "Don't bother lying to me. I know how you lie..."

* * *

If I said I hadn't thought about Mandy and I, together, in situations similar... I guess, I wouldn't be completely truthful. And she was right; she picks up when I'm lying every time. I honestly haven't ever actively thought about her in any romantic way, but there have been some periodic... dreams... These dreams vary in intensity from the simplest, innocent kiss to the raciest, sensual scenes. They don't occur too often, but they remain in my memory. Yet, these fantasy images of her hold nothing to her real, naked body grinding on me currently.

* * *

Then she started sloppily kissing and licking my neck, the alcohol clearly spurring her actions. After struggling and protesting to no avail to stop her advances and affection, I realized that I would have to try a different tactic to put her off.

I combed through her hair with one hand while gently stroking up and down her spine with another. This was what I'd do to comfort and soothe her when she's been upset or stressed or going through a hard time... although, usually she's always fully clothed. She soon caught on to what I was trying to do and slowed down her actions and eventually stopped, her head nuzzled in my neck.

"Why do you do this to me, Richie..." she murmured against my skin, defeated.

"It's for your own good, Dee..." I replied, wondering what she meant by her question. Was she speaking about just this situation or all the time?

* * *

If Mandy wasn't so hopelessly drunk tonight, I maybe wouldn't mind thinking about the state of our current relationship... and possibly starting something more... romantic-like... Mandy's definitely not bad looking. No- scratch that- Mandy's gorgeous... It's not that I've never noticed how she looked before, but we were just so good with our friendship and there was no pressure or tension that would push us to be more than friends. That's the one thing that would stop me from agreeing to a romantic relationship. I don't want to lose what we have currently in any way.

* * *

Here I was, with a now past out, completely nude Mandy, cradling her like a child.

I gently got up and carried her into my bedroom. I laid her on the bed and then thought that she might appreciate some clothing when she wakes up from her drunkenness in the morning. I grabbed a t-shirt of mine and carefully dressed her and tucked her into my bed.

_Our friendship is really reaching new heights here..._

I took a pillow and throw blanket for myself to sleep on the couch for tonight, and I heard another knock on my door.

"Hey Ringo! Ya still awake!" It was John, shouting, without a care to my neighbors, nor myself if I was asleep.

"Yeah, come on in!" I yelled down the hall. Then I suddenly realized that Mandy's undergarments were strewn all over my floor and I rushed out to my living room to find John holding up her bra to himself, acting like flirtatious gal, and George laughing at his antics.

"We were gonna ask you if you wanted to go out tonight, to a club or somethin'" George said when they noticed I entered the room.

"But I guess if you got a girl over..." John teased, waving the bra and throwing it at me. I caught it and began to collect the rest of Mandy's things.

"Guys, it's not what you think..." I started.

"Richie! Where'd ya go?" Mandy shouted from my bedroom, awake once more.

John laughed, ""Oh, I think it's _exactly _what we think."

"Wait a minute," George said with a confused look, "was that Mandy?"

"It's _really _not what you guys think!" I repeated, slightly frantic. Mandy then came into the room as if on cue.

"Oh! Hey, boys... didn't know you were here." She said walking up and wrapped her arms around me from behind, peeking out with her head on my shoulder.

"Don't mind us, we were just leaving," George replied, grabbing John and opening the door.

"Guys, wait, just let me explain-" I began.

"Oh, no... we'll just leave and let you guys carry on," John said with a wink, shutting the door behind him.

"She's-!" I shouted as the door shut and then finished, "drunk..." muttered at the closed door.

"Well, I say let's take their advice, hmm?" Mandy slurred, pulling me by my arm down the hallway.

"Dee... I really think that you just need a good night's sleep." I corrected, following her in order to get her settled in bed once more.

"Aww, you're no fun," she said, pouting, while I tucked her in.

"Goodnight, Dee," I said exiting the room.

She sat up abruptly, "Wait! At least... spend the night with me."

I reluctantly walked back into the room, shutting the door, "No funny business," I said getting into bed next to her.

She curled back into me, grabbing my arm to wrap around her waist, "Just hold me..."

"I can do that," I sighed, kissing her head and whispered again, "I can do that..."


	2. Part Two: Mandy

MANDY

I woke up to a dull, pounding headache, a feeling I have come to attribute to too much alcohol and a wild night. A couple of seconds later though, I realized that many things were not right with my situation...

_Why am I naked?_

_Whose t-shirt am I wearing?_

_Whose bed am I in?_

_How did I get here?_

... ... ... ... ...

_Whose ARM is around my waist!?_

_What happened last night?!_

I looked around frantically, my eyes adjusting to my dim surroundings.

_...Wait a minute...I know this room..._

I looked down at the hand of the man snoring behind me and saw the rings on his fingers that were oh so familiar to me.

_Ringo..._

Panic set in as I began to imagine what might have transpired last night. What did we do... What did this mean? Were things going to be different now? What does he think of me? Was this just a one-time mistake? Are our moments going to awkward from now on...

I found myself playing with the rings on his fingers. We'd do this often when we were together yet not doing anything. Silence would overcome our conversation and I'd take his hand in mine and absent-mindedly twirl around and fumble with his rings.

I felt a tear run down my cheek, followed by a few more.

_Have I lost this?_

"Dee..." I turned my head at Ringo's raspy morning voice, "what's wrong?"

I saw the concern and care in his face, and then I realized... he wouldn't do _anything _to hurt me. He wouldn't even consider something if there was the smallest possibility of upsetting me.

I laughed. I began to laugh at myself and my trivial thoughts and worries.

Ringo's expression changed to confusion, "What!?"

I spoke through my laughter, "We didn't have sex last night!"

Suddenly, I was pinned down with my hands above my head and Ringo hovered over me, his face a breath from mine.

"What makes you think that..." He replied with a low, rough voice. He had a serious, nearly menacing, intent in his eyes, yet I was calm under his gaze.

I spoke softly in return, "Because you love me too much..."

He released me from his hold and fell on his back beside me.

He sighed, closing his eyes, and ran his fingers through his hair, "yeah... ... I love you _too_ much..."

I turned on my side and looked down at him, "So, how did we get here?"

"Hmmm?" He hummed without opening his eyes.

"What happened last night?" I repeated, clarifying my question.

He chuckled and looked up at me, "You really don't remember anything from last night?"

An involuntary smile spread across my face as I took in his blue eyes, shining in amusement, "Not a thing..."

He turned on his side, facing me, and cleared his throat, "Well... I was just about to go to bed myself when you knocked on my door. I opened it and you proceeded to latch yourself on me and try to kiss me-"

"Being the _perfect_ gentleman I am..." He wiggled his eyebrows at me teasingly to which I rolled my eyes dramatically.

"I pulled you off me, but then you removed your jacket to reveal your attire of just some skimpy bra and panty combo."

"What!" I exclaimed.

He held a hand up, "Just wait, there's more."

"oh, no..." I could tell that this wasn't going to be good for me.

He continued, "You kept coming after me whilst stripping and you backed me into a chair. Then you climbed on top of me, completely nude, and started kissing my neck and grinding on me-"

I buried my head in my pillow and groaned in embarrassment. He didn't continue; I looked back at him to see him smirking, obviously enjoying my distress.

"So what next... " I asked reluctantly. "Since nothing happened, how did you stop me?"

He reached over and started stroking my back, which he does whenever I'm stressed or upset, "I calmed you down like I do any other time..." I felt myself relax and gave a sigh of contentment.

"Andthen you passed out." He stated abruptly, breaking the relaxed silenced. We both broke out into a fit of laughter.

"Ok, so you brought me to your bed after I was out," I started after our laughter subsided, "But why then did I wake up with you beside me?"

"Well, I was going to sleep on the couch, but then you insisted that since I wouldn't give into your advances that I should at least spend the night with you."

I buried my head in his shoulder, "I'm sorry for all the things I put you through, Richie..."

"That's what I'm here for, Dee."

After a short period of silence, Ringo spoke, "Hey, can I ask you a question now?"

Without leaving the comfort of his shoulder, I replied a muffled, "Sure."

There was another span of silence and then with a deep breath he finally asked, "Do you want a deeper relationship?

... A _romantic_ relationship?"

I pulled away to answer, yet my eyes wouldn't meet his, "I'm happy with out relationship now. I don't want to lose anything that we have. It's just that- I feel... If we become something more than friends- I don't want anything to change. I guess-"

"_Dee,_" Ringo interrupted forcefully, causing my eyes to draw to his, "You're skirting the question."

I looked down again, took a deep breath, and tentatively placed my hands on his chest.

I looked back up at him, "Lately... I have been thinking about us becoming _more _than friends. I haven't acted on it, I suppose, because- I'm afraid of change... But to answer the question, _maybe..._"

I studied his face for a reaction, but it was unreadable, "What are you thinking?"

His expression didn't change and he seemed to not have heard me as he asked a question of his own, "Can I kiss you?"

I pulled away in surprise, my hands leaving his chest, "k-Kiss me?"

He brought a hand up to cover mine that had left him and spoke with conviction, "_I want to kiss you..._"

I answered breathlessly, "..go ahead..."

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. His hand moved up my arm, along my neck, and followed the curve of my jaw into my hair. My eyes remained locked on his and I saw his eyes jump from my eyes to my lips and back and forth. He moved in closer and closer. He stopped with his nose against my cheek and our lips so close that they touched in the slightest sense. My eyes were still open, gazing into his clear, blue ones. Only when I allowed my eyelids to finally droop close did he press his lips into mine, and again, and again...and _again..._ Everything felt right in the world, as cliche as that may sound, and all of my worries about change faded away as I melted under his touch.

He eventually pulled away and there was a moment of just looking in each other's eyes. Then he looked away and gave a little nervous chuckle.

I giggled with him, "What's so funny?"

He laughed again, making my heart lighten at it's sound.

He looked back at me with twinkling, bright eyes, "I'm just happy..."

I curled into him with my head against his chest.

"You're too cute," I breathed a sigh of contentment, "I like you."

He chuckled again, wrapping his arms around me, hugging me tightly, "I think things can only change for the better with us, Dee..."


End file.
